Summer is almost upon us and thoughts turn to digging out our old tools or replacing new and worn ones. We can almost forget where we have left them, maybe in an old shed or the garage and when we find them again, they may not be in the working order they originally were. All too often we end up replacing hand tools and buying new ones but in fact if you take proper care, your hand tools can last the test of time. The most important factor is to make sure you select and choose carefully when buying hand tools. Make sure you take the time to look at what is available on the market and depending on your budget, always try and buy good quality tools that are comfortable to use and of a good quality.
The key to maintaining your tools is cleaning and storage after use, especially over the winter period when they are not likely to be used. Many home owners leave tools outside after use and hedge trimmers are a popular tool to leave outside in the garden which will ultimately blunt the blades and render them unusable. When we come to find them again, they are likely to have rusted a little and the blade will be ineffective leaving us very frustrated. Hand tools need to be cleaned after use and then put away safely for the next time they are required. Tools should always be stored off the floor in order to reduce the amount of damp and if they can’t be stored off the ground then place them on plastic which will help reduce the amount of damp absorbed.
Many hand tools will become blunt over time but they can be successfully sharpened again in order to make them effective. Spades, forks hedge trimmers and trowels can all be sharpened effectively but all guidelines should be followed and any safety wear needed should be fully worn before you begin any sharpening task.
All rust must be removed from any tools before sharpening and you can use steel wool to do this, you also need to file down any chips and gouges in order to create a smooth surface. Honing stones and oil stones are really good at sharpening prunes and shears and for heavy duty equipment such as spades and shovels, files can be used. There are many different types of files and it is important you use the correct one for the equipment you are using but a round mill file is a good tool to use for heavy duty equipment.
